The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling functions for first devices in an environment depending on events and/or conditions within, or associated with, the environment, an a respective method.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9cenvironmentxe2x80x9d can generally be any area, which may or may not be physically well-defined, such as, e.g., a home, a place of work or a well-defined outdoor area. However, the invention is in particular directed to an environment in which persons having some kind of problem in managing on their own are present, such as persons with developmental disability or dementia in an environment in the form of a home or a place of work, and therefore, the problem addressed and to be solved by the present invention will hereinafter be described in relation to this specific application of the present invention for the purpose of illustration only and, thus, not limitation by any means.
Persons with developmental disability or dementia are in need of help in order to manage in their homes and at the place of work, and in that respect it is desirable that they can be given an as good as possible support during the time they will have to manage on their own. Thereby, their self-esteem and quality of life can be enhanced. In order to achieve the above object apparatus of the above-mentioned type have been arranged in, e.g., homes for persons with developmental disability, but the function, however, of these apparatus leaves a great deal to be desired. It has only been possible to use a fixed controlling of these apparatus, i.e., the apparatus does exactly what it is constructed to do, often without being able to adapt its performance to the current situation in any given moment and to any recently occurred events. Such an adaptation with fixed controlling might be suitable for persons having a normal intellect, but not for persons with developmental disability or dementia, since it lacks the ability to give an intellectual support. These apparatus accordingly exhibit several independent so called smart partial solutions, but these only adapt to each other to a certain degree or not at all. For example, different types of said first devices, such as a doorlock, a doorbell or any other device reminding of something to be done, can operate totally independent of each other, i.e., without adapting to the functions of each other, to anything previously happened, and thus, to the current situation at the particular moment;
The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the initially defined type, which to a great extent obviates the above discussed drawbacks of the previously known apparatus.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing such an apparatus with the combination of:
1. second devices adapted to register events and/or conditions of the environment and to deliver information thereof,
2. an input/output unit adapted to receive said information from the second, so called input devices, and control commands for the first, so called output devices, and, without any information distorting processing, send this information and control commands, respectively, further on,
3. a computer unit,
the input/output unit being connected to a port of the computer unit and adapted to send said information to the same, the computer unit being adapted to, on the basis of this information and information stored in memory devices contained therein, prepare said control commands and send these to the input/output unit which is adapted to send them forward to output devices pertaining to these control commands for controlling the functions of said devices, such that the computer unit is adapted to solely make all the decisions.
Thus, in this apparatus all parts will co-operate into one single smart entirety instead of the different independent smart partial solutions of the prior art apparatus, so that the apparatus in every moment in detail can adapt its performance, i.e., the controlling of the functions of the first devices, to the current situation and to anything recently happened. Such an apparatus can thus be used to give persons with developmental disability or dementia an active intellectual support. Accordingly, this is accomplished by using an input/output unit sending signals between the input devices and the computer unit, and between the computer unit and the output devices without any information distorting processing thereof, and by the fact that all logical processing is performed in the computer unit, i.e., it is this unit solely making all the decisions, and it can do this by having access to all information that might be required in order to make a proper decision adapted to every specific situation, by virtue of the fact that information from the input devices is received unprocessed by the computer, and other important information for the decision to be made is stored in the memory device thereof. In an apparatus according to the invention, in the case of use thereof in a home for a person with developmental disability, it will thereby be possible to connect with each other the information from a doorbell, the fact that xe2x80x9cAunt Johannaxe2x80x9d has gone out, and telephoning, in which case the person can be informed that there is no use calling her now.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the memory devices are adapted to store information obtained from said second, so called input devices, on the environment and events taking place therein for use in subsequent preparing of control commands to said first devices on the basis of information obtained from the second devices at that point of time, and information stored in the memory device. By virtue of the fact that in this manner the device, the computer unit, wherein all decisions are made and control commands prepared, is informed of events which have occurred in the environment in the past, and information on the environment, as well as on any event occurring at the give point of time, decisions perfectly adapted to the given situation can be made, and the corresponding control commands be prepared, so that the apparatus always reacts in a desired way on a certain event or a certain condition depending upon the current situation, instead of always reacting in the same way on a certain event, without taking into account any other circumstances, such as the prior art apparatus do.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention the memory device is adapted to store information about the characteristics and/or desires of a person using the apparatus. This will enable to adapt the control commands prepared by the computer unit to the developments of the user, i.e., the needs and the ability of the user at the particular point of time, such that the apparatus will take into account the fact that the person gradually learns. This information can then be entered into the computer unit by of changing the software thereof, the computer unit preferably being a programmable personal computer. An apparatus of this type will generally have to be able to communicate with its user by means of text, speech, sound, picture or color, and this can normally be done by a personal computer, which thereby will be superior to a so called industrial control system. Moreover, it is easy to communicate to, versatile, easy to program, and easy to send data to. Additionally, the personal computer has a large memory capacity and personal computers are programmed in a similar fashion independently of the make and type thereof.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the computer unit is adapted to prepare said control commands on the basis of, and by of the memory device having access to, all information available within the apparatus, which information the form of said control commands might be dependent upon for the adapting of said control commands to the current situation in the environment. Due to the fact that all the information based on which a decision is to be taken in this manner is updated and is gathered in one single place, and that all decisions are made there, it is possible to make logically intelligent decisions regarding the performance of the apparatus, and adapted to the overall situation. Thereby, in every moment, the apparatus as an entirely is able to perform in an intelligent way.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention the computer unit is adapted to become activated, as to the preparation of said control commands, by changes of status or other events in the environment, reported from said input devices via the input/output unit. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ceventsxe2x80x9d is used in a broad sense and comprises as used in the description and in the claims also such things such as the fact that a certain point of time has been reached, the weather changes (according to a previously given forecast), and the like. By letting the computer unit be activated by such changes of status or other events in the environment it will automatically function as an intellectual support for the person with a developmental disability, so that the measures and support all the time can be adapted to the current situation.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention the computer unit comprises an editor adapted to prepare said control commands and to give these a form which is independent of the type of computer unit, i.e., to make the control commands machine independent. This is important for the reuse of programs. Accordingly, the code of the control program itself will be exactly the same independently of in which computer the editing has been done, and of which computer is being used in the plant for which the program has been made.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention the input/output unit is adapted to communicate with the computer unit through any of the ports thereof. In that regard it is advantageous to connect the input/output unit to the serial port of the computer unit, since this at present is the only standardised port exhibited by all types of computers. By using the serial port for the communication between the computer and the input/output unit one will thus be independent of the type of computer. This way of communication also means that no modifications have to be done on the computer unit for said communication.
According to other preferred embodiments of the invention the input/output unit can be devoid of any means for logical signal processing, i.e., be especially designed for computer based adaptations for the disabled, or the input/output unit exhibits means for logical signal processing adapted not to perform any information distorting processing of signals in to and out from the input/output unit, so that it can be an industrial control system, the logical functions of which one does not use.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the first devices are adapted to perform their functions in an environment in the form of a home or a place of work, forming an especially well suited application of an apparatus according to the invention. In that case, said output devices may comprise one or more of: illumination devices, alarm, doorlock, and doorbell. Other output devices are of course also possible. As to the input devices, in the case of an environment in the form of a home or a place of work, these could e.g., be a doorbell, a sensor for an open front door of a home, a sensor for the status of a hot plate, a detector for the presence of a person at a location or in a furniture in a home, such as on a bed. With such input and output devices of an apparatus of the invention, possibilities for an active intellectual support for persons with developmental disability or dementia are offered, so that these persons, during the time they have to manage on their own, have a greater possibility to better cope with simpler every day tasks. This can increase their quality of life and hopefully lead to further development.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the computer unit is provided with means for entering of information into said memory device about said environment as well as about characteristics of a person supposed to reside in the environment for the adapting of said preparation of control commands to a change in the acting of this person. This is important in order for the apparatus to all the time be able to give the best possible support to said person.
The present invention also relates to a use of an apparatus according to the invention as an intellectual support for persons with developmental disability or dementia, for which support such an apparatus is especially well suited.
The present invention also relates to a method, with the advantages of such a method clearly seen from the above discussion of the apparatus of the invention.
Further advantages and advantageous characteristics of the invention will be evident from the following description.